Oscillating fans



Oct. l, 1957 H, MQRRlsON 2,808,198

OSCILLATING FANS Filed April 30, 1956 IN VENTOR HACLEY MORRIS 0N ATTORNEYS United States Patent" QM 2,808,198 oscmLArING FANS Hackley Morrison, Houston, Tex. Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,765

Claims. (Cl. 230-259) This invention relates to fans, and more particularly to oscillating fans of the type mounted directly on the shaft of an electric motor.

The present invention is in the nature of a further development of or improvement on the fan shown and described in my prior co-pending application Serial No. 462,082, led October 13, 1954 which issued as Patent Number 2,765,977 on October 9, 1956.

The present improvements are designed especially for use in connection with a cabinet in which the fan is enclosed, as shown in my said prior application, the fan being suspended from the top wall of such a cabinet. However, in its broader aspects, the invention contemplates a fan suspended from any suitable horizontal support.

In the present improvements, as in my said prior appli cation, the fan and motor unit is caused to oscillate by means of a separate auxiliary motor. While in said prior application, mechanical connections were provided between the auxiliary motor and the motor and fan unit to cause it to oscillate in both vertical and horizontal planes, I have now discovered that such mechanical connections, so far as oscillation in a vertical plane is concerned, are unnecessary, and all that is required is for the auxiliary motor to oscillate the motor and fan unit in a horizontal plane, and said unit will itself oscillate in a vertical plane. The mechanism of the present invention is therefore much simpler, and :can be manufactured more cheaply.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, and in which;

Fig. l is a fragmentary vertical section through the top wall of a cabinet showing my improved motor and fan unit suspended therefrom, parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. l but taken at right angles thereto, parts being in elevation and parts being broken away for the sake of clearness; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 1 designates a cabinet having a horizontal top wall 2 which constitutes the support from which the fan mechanism is suspended. Secured to the underside of the top wall 2 by means of screws 4 is a .cup-shaped casing 3, having an opening in its bottom. Mounted within this casing is a anti-friction thrust bearing comprising runways 6 and 7 having a series of balls 8 interposed between them.

Supported on the uppermost runway 6 is the flanged 2,808,198 Y Patented Oct. 11957 metal sleeve 9, and the second being longer and extending through this sleeve.

For the sake of clear-ness the assembly 5, 9, 10, 11, 12 will be referred lto as a supporting structure, and it is obvious that this structure is free to rotate or oscillate in a horizontal plane about the thrust bearing.

Pivotally secured to the lower end of the hanger 10, constituting part of the supporting structure, is a motor 13 having a shaft 14 on which is mounted a suitable fan 15, these three parts being referred to as a motor and fan unit. To the motor 13 are secured a pair of spaced brackets 16, Ias by means 'of screws 16B, and the hanger 10 extends down between these brackets, and a bolt 17 passes freely through alined holes in the brackets and hanger, so that 4the motor and fan unit is free to pivot about the bolt 17 in a vertical plane.

It will be particularly noted that the brackets 16 are secured to the motor at a point substantially to one side of its center of gravity so that, when idle, the motor and fan unit assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 with the shaft of the motor disposed at an angle to the horizontal.

Also supported by the top wall 2 at some distance from the cup 3 is a bracket 18, which supports an auxiliary motor 19. This is of the type shown and described more in detail in my said prior application and comprises a casing in which is enclosed speed reduction gearing, the final drive shaft of which carries a crank arm 20, in which is set a wrist pin 21, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 3.

A lever 23 is provided at one end with a slot 22 which works freely over the pin 21 and is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 2 4 secured to the top wall 2 as by means of a bolt 25.

The other end of this lever passes through an opening 26 formed in the side of the cup 3 `and is provided with aslot 27 which freely engages a pin 28 carried by the ilange 5 of the supporting member. A horizontal slot is formed in this flange to receive the end of the lever 23, and the pin 28 extends across this slot.

The operation of the device is as follows. As above stated, the motor and fan unit, when idle, occupy the position shown in full lines. When current is turned on to this motor and the fan begins to run, the air pressure will cause the unit to swing down into dotted line position, in which the motor shaft 14 is substantially horizontal, and the fan turns in a vertical plane. If it were not for the auxiliary motor, the fan would remain in this position. However, when current is turned on to the auxiliary motor and it begins to run, it operates, through the lever 23, to oscillate the supportingstructure and fan and motor unit in a horizontal plane. When this supporting structure and fan swings in one direction the motor and fan will be still further tilted down to the position as shown in broken lines in Fig. l, in which the shaft 14 is inclined to the horizontal and the fan blows air downwardly. As the auxiliary motor continues to run and the supporting structure and motor and fan unit is oscillated in the other direction, the unit will swing upwardly about the pivot 17 to the position shown in full lines, and the fan will then blow air upwardly.

Thus, as the supporting structure and unit are oscillated in -a horizontal plane by the auxiliarymotor the motor rand fan unit will successively tilt upwardly and then downwardly through a regular cycle, automatically oscillating in a vertical plane, without any `connection with the auxiliary motor other than the single lever 23. This is probably due to differences in the air pressure on the fan as it swings from side to side.

I iind that two things are essential to produce this effect namely:

(1) The motor and fan unit must be suspended from a fixed support above the same;

(2) The motor and fan unit must be pivotally supported at a point substantially to one side of its center of gravity, so that when idle, it hangs at au angle, with the fan end of the motor tilting up. Y Y

It will thus be seen that by the simple'expedie'nt ot'V suspending the motor and fan unit in this way on a supporting structure, and oscillating this structure in a horizontal plane, I am enabled to cause the fan to automatically oscillate in a vertical plane also, and it is thought that the many advantages of the invention will lbe readily appreciated by those familiar with such matters.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a xed support, of an elongated, vertically extending supporting structure, rigid throughout its length, carried thereby, bearings adjacent its upper end on which said structure is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a motor and fanrunit freely pivotally suspended from the lower end of said structure to swing in a vertical plane, an independent motor, and means connecting said independent motor with said supporting structure for oscillating said structure and unit about said vertical axis.

2. The combination with a fixed horizontal support, of an elongated, vertically extending supporting structure, rigid throughout its length, carried thereby, bearings adjacent its upper end on which said structure is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a motor and fan unit freely unit, when idle, normally occupies a position at an angle pivotally suspended from the lower end of said structure to swing in a vertical plane, an independent motor mounted on said lixed support, and means connecting said independent motor with said supporting structure for oscillating said structure and unit abouty said vertical axis.

3. The combination with a fixed` support, of an elongated, vertically extending supporting structure, rigid throughout its length, carried thereby, bearings adjacent its upper end on which said structure is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a motor and fan unit freely pivotally suspended from the lower end of said structure to swing in a vertical plane, an independent motor, and a lever mounted on a fixed pivot and connected at one end with vsaid independent motor and at the other end with said supporting structure in such manner that said independent motor may oscillate said supporting structure and unit about said vertical axis.

4. The combination with a fixed support, of an elongated, vertically extending supporting structure, rigid throughout its length, carried thereby, bearings adjacent its upper end on which said structure is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a motor and fan unit pivotally suspended from the lower end of said structure at a point substantially above and to one side of the center of gravity thereof, to swing about a vhorizontal axis, whereby said to the horizontal, and means independent of said motor for oscillating said supporting structure and unit about said vertical axis.

5. The combination with a fixed support, of an elongated, vertically extending supporting structure, rigid throughout its length, carried thereby, bearings adjacent its upper end on which said structure is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a motor and fan unit pivotally suspended from the lower end of said structure at a point to one side of the center of gravity thereof, the axis of said pivot being horizontal and at right angles to the shaft of said unit, whereby said unit normally hangs in a position with its shaft at an angle to the horizontal, and means independent of said motor for oscillating said supporting structure and unit about said vertical axis.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 809,356 Brown Jan. 9, 1906 1,741,736 Richardson Dec. 31, 1929 2,084,744 Rathbun June 22, 1937 2,336,295 Reimuller Dec. 7, 1943 2,765,977 Morrison Oct. 9, 1956 v FOREIGN PATENTS 703,522 Germany Mar. 17, 1941 

